SYNOPSIS OF LETTER FROM ANDA TO CARLOS III
June 22, 1764, Don Simon Anda y Salazar sent a letter to the king, in which he showed the measures adopted by him during or in the time of the war with the English, in regard to economic matters of police and public order. They were as follows.
In regard to the fact that prices for provisions, which had become dear because of the English invasion, should be fixed at the prices regulated by custom and tariff, as well as the freight duties of the craft, day wages of stevedores, rent of beasts of burden, and wages of rowers, it was ordered that a tariff be formed in the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga, as they had none.[1]
[The tariff was ordered] so that the coins of two and one-half tomins, one and one-half tomins, diminished by waste, from the value of their stamp, might be received at their intrinsic value; in order that in a determined time, the Sangleys might present themselves under penalty of two hundred lashes, and confiscation of their property, as it was learned that many of the dwellers in the Parián of Manila had entered Pampanga, and had united with those who resided in the villages of the province, and were preparing arms. The object was to disarm them and send them to the Parián. But many of them presented themselves armed and offered to give bonds that they were peaceful and that their arms were employed in the service of his Majesty.
He ascertained that the agreement that they had made with the English was that one thousand Chinese should enter from the Parián of Manila, and distribute themselves through the villages, so that they might fire them at that hour of Christmas eve when the natives should be in the temples, in order that by reason of the confusion, free entrance into the province might be secured for the English. He proceeded to imprison and punish many of them, and gave orders to maintain a suitable guard at the entrances of the bars and villages from the twenty-third to the twenty-fifth of December, 1762; and the religious ministers of the doctrine were not to open their churches or celebrate the divine offices, and to act with all manner of precaution.
Seeing that the Chinese aided the English in their expeditions, and that the chief Sangleys were censuring such conduct as well as that of others of those who plotted the insurrection in Pampanga, he suddenly pardoned them on condition that they would not reside in the provinces without license from the governing Audiencia, not to reside [there] longer than the time he would set, pay a tribute, and not carry food or aid the enemy.
Some submitted, but acted deceitfully, introducing false barrillas into the villages, withdrawing the pesos, giving information to the enemy, and going freely from the Parián of Manila to the provinces.[2] Others aided the English and supplied them with food. Consequently, it was ordered that the alcaldes-mayor should form a list of the Sangleys, of their provinces, prohibiting their admission unless they had permission from the Audiencia. No one of them was to go from the provinces to Manila and Cavite, under penalty of the confiscation of his property. That checked their insolence in large part, it is said.
He ordered the arms collected for the use of the soldiers.
He forbade more wine than was necessary to be taken from the province of Laguna, because of the disorders produced by drunkenness. In Bacolor the sale of nipa wine was by retail.
He ordered the soldiers who had dispersed when the capture of Manila and Cavite by the English took place to present themselves. They did so, as did also the officers, showing the arms that they possessed.[3]
In the province of Pampanga, he permitted the free circulation of the barrillas (money made of pinchbeck and tin which the ayuntamiento of Manila coined for purchase at retail, and whose value was that of one grano of a tomin), but since the Sangleys introduced many counterfeit ones, he had to prohibit their circulation.
He ordered Don Francisco Javier Salgado to investigate the extortions and losses caused in the villages of Tondo and Cavite by the militia of Laguna and Tayabas who were assigned to oppose the English, because the leaders of such militia could not make them observe the due subordination. But no injured one presented himself, and accordingly he says that there is no one against whom to proceed, in spite of the fact that the order was published by edict.
He published an edict in regard to weights and measures, in order that they might not be made less or clipped.
He forbade the seculars who had fled to the provinces to obey the summons of the archbishop that they return to Manila.
He ordered the Indians not to go out of their villages without a passport from the gobernadorcillo to villages within the province; and from the governing Audiencia to Manila and its environs, so that they might not carry provisions to Manila.
That order not being sufficient, he issued other edicts making the prohibition more strict especially against the Spaniards.
Having seen that the four churches that were under the cannon of the fort of Manila had been used by the English as fortifications, who committed all manner of profanations, he ordered the necessary arrangements to be made in the villages to burn them, if the enemy attacked.[4] That order poorly understood, exposed the church of Viñan[5] to being unnecessarily burned, but it was saved by order of Anda. He also censured the first provision which he had to revoke.
He prosecuted and punished several spies sent by the English to ascertain what Anda and the loyal troops were doing.
He permitted free trade among the provinces, so that they might have food in abundance. He ordered that all the lands of Pampanga be planted, so far as possible, with rice, sugarcane, etc., and that land in the village of San Ysidro be given to the Tagálogs who had fled from Manila.
He arranged that the food for the provision of the warehouses be bought by the parish priests, and that they be paid in cash instead of demanding them through apportionment.
He went out to defend the loyal troops who were maltreated and insulted by the English generals who treated them like dogs. He offered ten thousand pesos for the heads of Drak, Esmith, and Broche.[6]
He granted general exemption from tribute, polos, and personal services, in view of the fact that the English said that they had gone to the islands to free the people from them, which measure proved very useful.
He ordered that in Bacolor and surrounding villages, the bell be rung at nine o’clock at night for all people to retire, and not to be seen on the streets, in order to avoid disorders.
He forbade the sending of skins to Manila in order that the English and Chinese might not use them.
[He forbade] illuminations at night, on the eve and day of the anniversary of birth and the saint’s day of the king and prince of Asturias.
He prohibited by edict the Pangasinans from living with their herds on the lands of San Ysidro in order to avoid disorders with the inhabitants of the village over the pastures.
He prohibited games of dice, cockfighting, and cards, in order to avoid the excessive thefts and robberies that were committed. He ordered whoever committed a theft of the sum of one peso to be punished with the capital penalty.
He published a judicial defense in reply to the considerations of father Fray Antonio de las Huertas, of the Order of the Preachers, to a memorial which was presented in the royal Council of the Yndias by Father Luis de Morales, of the Society of Jesus, provincial of his order for the province of Filipinas.
Father Pedro de Espinar of the Society of Jesus, provincial general of his order for the provinces of Yndias in Madrid, is the author of the memorial.[7]
It is the defense of the Society of Jesus against the writings of the archbishop of Manila, Pardo, and his partisans, published in Madrid, and the Roman court, which attributed to the Jesuits complicity in the questions aroused by the governor of Filipinas and the Audiencia.[8]
[1] The provinces of Pampanga and Bulacan remained faithful during the English invasion and were the only resource for the Spaniards (Mas, i, p. 160). [↑]
[2] The Indians and Chinese revolted in San Pablo de los Montes, killing their priest, Francisco Fierro, O.S.A. The people of Tanavan also killed their priest, Andres Enriquez, O.S.A. Other priests of other orders were killed, but members of the Society of Jesus escaped. For they showed themselves two-faced, since on one side, they were for the English, while on the other side, they declared for Anda, who, however, greatly mistrusted them. See Mas, i, pp. 160, 161 (citation from the MS. of Jesus de Santa Maria). [↑]
[3] Ferrando (iv, p. 638, note) has the following from a contemporary MS.: “But the most celebrated and comical, was the disappearance of one hundred and thirty-five American soldiers, who by means of a rare stratagem deceived the vigilance of an English company which was guarding them in the castle of San Fernando or the alcaicería of the Chinese. In order that they might succeed in their projected attempt, they mined a bit of land as far as the outlet of the guardhouse, and then asked for permission to enact a farce. Their request was granted without any difficulty, and on the day assigned for the representation, the one who took the part of the comedian began to make his conclusion while the others were going out of the mine. Finally the comedian concluded by saying that he was going to call his companions, and went away to where they had escaped. When the sentinels saw that they delayed in coming, suspecting what had really happened, they searched the place where the actors ought to have been. But the latter were already outside of Tondo, and immediately joined a company which Anda, previously notified of the project, had sent them. On account of this jest the English were greatly ashamed, and although they were angry at the occurrence, yet they praised the ingenious stratagem.” [↑]
[4] This order was given at Apalit, January 27, 1763, and the four churches mentioned were those of Malate, Ermita, Santiago, and San Juan de Bagumbaya. The alcaldes and other officials were ordered to fire any public buildings, churches, or convents, which might serve as fortification to the enemy, immediately, if the village were attacked. See Malo de Luque, v, pp. 281–284; alto Montero y Vidal, ii, appendix, pp. 591–593, where it is published entire. [↑]
[6] i.e., Drake, Smith, and Brook, the representatives of the East India Company, who were left in charge after Draper and Cornish left. [↑]
[7] This is the “Manifesto juridico defensorio en respuesto de los reparos hechos por el Padre Fray Antonio de las Huertas, de el Orden de Predicadores, a un Memorial que en Real Consejo de las Indias presentó el Padre Luis A. de Morales de la Compañia de Jesus, Procurador de su Religion, por las Provincias de Filipinas. Escrivele el Padre Pedro de Espinar de la Compañia de Jesus, Provincial General de su Religion, por las Provincias de Indias [Madrid, ca., 1680].” Pedro de Espinar died at Madrid, August 31, 1795. Luis de Morales was born at Tordesillas, September 29, 1641, and entered the Society August 28, 1658. After going to Manila he acted as missionary at various places, and in 1685 went to Europe as procurator. He was appointed visitor of Mexico, and then provincial of the Philippine missions, and finally rector of the Manila college, where he died, June 14, 1716. See Sommervogel’s Bibliothèque. [↑]
[8] This last paragraph is evidently a note by Ventura del Arco. [↑]